Improvement in roofing-tongs



2 SheetsSh eet 1. T.. B. BEESON. Roofing-Tongs.

No. 204,526. Patented June 4,1878.

WITNESSES mM /o dill"! We, ATTORNEYS.

B N-PBYERS, FBOTDJJTNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. B. BEESON.

Roofing Tongs.

No. 204,526" Patented June 4,1878.

N-FETERS. PHOTO LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTO PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS B. BEESON, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROOFlNG-TONGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

204,526, dated June 4, 1878; application filed March 4, 1878.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BABB BEESON, of Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Roofing-Tongs and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a perspective view of my device, showing the same in use. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through line .10 w of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide new and improved means for securely fastening together sheets of tin or other metal used in roofing buildings or otherwise, in a manner better and more easily than with the present system of the mallet.

My invention consists in a pair of metal tongs so constructed and arranged that by means of an attached roller the tin is bent, turned, lapped, and clamped, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawing, the letter A represents the treadle attached to the upper jaw B of the roofing-tongs. The upper jaw B is concaved, and provided with bosses or lugs a at each end,forming bearings for the roller D. This roller is arranged and journaled in advance of the bite I) of said jaw, as shown in Fig. 2.

The letter 0 indicates the lower jaw, which is also concaved, and provided with a V-shaped biting lip or edge, d, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The upper and lower jaws above described are hinged together by means of a knucklejoint, G, so arranged that the knuckle-joint can be thrown out of a plumb line with the bite of the jaw for the purpose of throwing the roller attached to the upper jaw over the V-shaped lip in the lower jaw at such an angle as is necessary to form a hook on the sheets of a metal to make a seam, as fully shown in Fig.

1 of the drawings.

The upper and lower jaws are provided with handles E. These handles and the treadle A are used as levers in forming the seam on the roofing material.

Operation: The sheets of metal tobefastened together must be prepared in the usual waythat is to say, to be soldered and fastened to the sheathing of the roof in the ordinary way. Then apply the ton gs to the standing metal 6 c, the two pieces to be united passing in between the jaws, coming into contact with the roller. By pressing down upon the handles the jaws are closed, and at the same time the metal is forced by means of the roller down into the hollow or cavity of the lower jaw, (see Fig. 1,) forming the edges of the metal into the shape of a V. Then by opening the tongs and placing the V-shaped edge in the flat faces or bite of the jaws the edge is completely turned down smooth and tight, as at 13. By again closing the tongs upon the turned-down edge the same result is produced, and makes a better standing groove or joint than by means of the usual way with the mallet.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The upper jaw of the tongs having a journaled roller, in combination with the lower jaw having a V-shaped lip and a concave, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the upper jaw having the roller D arranged in advance of the bite of the upper jaw, so as to roll the metal down over the lower jaw in such a manner that the two pieces of sheet metal will be hooked and fastened together, substantially as described.

3. A pair of roofing-tongs, consisting of the jaw B, with roller D and handle E, and the jaw O, with lip d and handle E, hinged together, substantially as set forth.

THOMAS BABB BEESON.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. COLE, W. BRIGHT KING. 

